Lorna Fewtrell1, David Kay. 1. Centre for Research into Environment and Health, Coppice House, Quakers Coppice, Crewe, UK. lorna@creh.demon.co.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To quantify, so far as possible, the health effects of flooding in the UK to allow comparison between different flooding events. METHODS: The health effects resulting from flooding events were determined through an extensive literature search, where information existed to enable the quantification of these effects. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were used to enable the comparison between different health impacts and different flood events and populations, using two sites subject to pluvial flooding in the Bradford area, UK. RESULTS: Relatively few properties (and hence people) were affected by flooding in the case study areas and there were no predicted deaths or serious injuries; these results were supported by anecdotal knowledge of the events. Mental health problems, characterized as psychological distress, were estimated for adults; these were found to dominate the calculated health impacts, being considerably greater than the combined physical symptoms in the case study examples. CONCLUSIONS: While it was not possible to quantify every flood-related health impact, this method does allow comparisons to be made between different flood events and mitigation strategies.
OBJECTIVES: To quantify, so far as possible, the health effects of flooding in the UK to allow comparison between different flooding events. METHODS: The health effects resulting from flooding events were determined through an extensive literature search, where information existed to enable the quantification of these effects. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were used to enable the comparison between different health impacts and different flood events and populations, using two sites subject to pluvial flooding in the Bradford area, UK. RESULTS: Relatively few properties (and hence people) were affected by flooding in the case study areas and there were no predicted deaths or serious injuries; these results were supported by anecdotal knowledge of the events. Mental health problems, characterized as psychological distress, were estimated for adults; these were found to dominate the calculated health impacts, being considerably greater than the combined physical symptoms in the case study examples. CONCLUSIONS: While it was not possible to quantify every flood-related health impact, this method does allow comparisons to be made between different flood events and mitigation strategies.
Authors: Ana Fernandez; John Black; Mairwen Jones; Leigh Wilson; Luis Salvador-Carulla; Thomas Astell-Burt; Deborah Black Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-04-10 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Thomas David Waite; Katerina Chaintarli; Charles R Beck; Angie Bone; Richard Amlôt; Sari Kovats; Mark Reacher; Ben Armstrong; Giovanni Leonardi; G James Rubin; Isabel Oliver Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2017-01-28 Impact factor: 3.295